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January 18, 2005

Bookworms, Rejoice! Newbery Award Goes to AA Author

When I was growing up, I was a total bookworm. I preferred reading to sports, to playing piano, to watching TV. Hell, I preferred reading over talking. In the 5th grade I belonged to the Name That Book club (which is exactly what it sounds like) and we would compete against teams from other schools. They would ask a question like, "In which book does the character such and such do such and such?" Whoever raises her hand first and answers the question correctly scores a point for the team. It was so easy. I remember around this time there were often promotions at Pizza Hut where you got a star for every book you read and after you earned 10 stars, you got a free personal pizza. Also really easy. I skipped class in the 5th grade once. Guess where they found me? In the school library.

I read every book that Judy Blume ever wrote, and some trashy series like the Babysitter’s Club or this one about cheerleaders. But I also read a lot of books that won Newbery medals. This award, for those of you who may not be so in the know about children’s literature, is the Pulitzer prize of children’s books.

I don’t remember reading too many stories that had Asian American protagonists. Or even Asian American characters, for that matter. In fact, I can only think of one: In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord.

Well, now we can add another to the list. Yesterday, a novel about a Japanese American girl growing up in the South in the 1950s received the 2005 John Newbery Award. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata tells the story of Katie, as she struggles to find her way in rural Georgia and deal with her sister’s death from lymphoma.

I may be all grown up now (more or less) but I think I’ll read it anyways.

Posted by melissa at January 18, 2005 1:31 PM